Concentrator



Jan. 30, 1923.

D. E. BLEAKLEY.

CONCENTRATOR.

FILED APRQS, 1922.

M, lm Al l l I I r l.

@maid Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

'bil

CONCENTRATQR.

Application led April 3,

17 70 @ZZ whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, DAVID E. BLEAKLnr, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Cakland, county of Alameda., and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful improvements in Concentrators,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to concentrators and especially to concentratorsof the centrifugal type.

in the working of placer or alluvial deposits containing precious metals.such vas gold, platinum and the like, a considerable percentage of themetals or values escape with the tailings due to the diculty of catchingor retainino` the liner values, such as flour gold, etc. great varietyof concentrators, jigs, rockers, amalganiating devices, etc. have beenemployed for this purpose, but with comparatively little success, aspractically all concentrates obtained from such sources contain a largeproportion of black sand and other heavy matter, which packs behind theriiles and thereby prevents the liner values from lodging. Again waterin fairly high velocity and a large volume must be employed in mostcases to keep the material moving and to prevent excess pack# ing behindthe riiiles and the finer values are not given an opportunity to settle.Again, when amalgam traps or other amalgamating devices are employed,scouring action takes place and the quicksilver flours and escapes. Suchlosses in most cases more than offset the value of the hner metalscaught and are therefore useless and pro liibitive. The problems andconditions gust stated are by no means exceptional, but are rathervcommon and every day difficulties, and it might here be stated thatthey present unsolved problems as no effective apparatus or method hasso far been developed.

rihe present invention embodies a concentrator of the pan type, and onewhich utilizes centrifugal force and an agitating movement; the objectbeing to project the values by centrifugal action and to trap all valuesand then settle them by stratication caused by difference in specificgravity. The invention also embodies'a simple and substantial form ofapparatus in which is sup' ported a concentrating pan in which thematerial to be concentrated is delivered. The invention further embodiesa mechanism for imparting an oscillating movement lto 1922. Serial No.548,987.

the pan as wili hereinafter be described.` Other objects willhereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the partis and the construction, combinationand arrangement of parts as here, fter more fully described. andclaimed, hat ing reference to the accompanying drawings, in whiche- Fig. l is side elevationof the machine partially in section.

@ ig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates a base plate and 2 astandard or vertical frame, which supportsv a horizontal arm or bracket3. `Formed on the outer end of the bracket 3 is a journal member 3a, andsimilarly formed in alignment therewith on the base is a bearing member3b. Vertically positioned and journalled in the.` bearing members is ashaft Li, and secured on the lower end of the shaft is a concentratingpan generally indicated at 5. `-Formed or otherwise secured in the panis a series of superposed annular ing like riffles 6 and 7, and adaptedimpart an oscillating movement to the shaft and the pan :carriedthereby, a pinion 8 and a se-gn'iental gear 9 are employed. Thesegmental gear is journalled on a pin l0 and it provided with an operat#ing handle or lever ll by which an oscillating movement may be impartedthereto.l The 'segment or gear@ interineshes with the pinion 8 andas'this is secured to the shaft a alternate or reverse revolutionwill beimparted to the shaft and the pan.

ln actual operation the mat iai to be concentra-ted, together with asuflicient amount of water to insure washing of the material and removalof the tailings and waste,` is delivered to the center portion of thepan from any suitable source and in any snitable manne-r. At the sainevtime an oscillating nio-vement is imparted to 'the lever il and the.segmental gear 9 and a succession of rotating movement will thus beimparted to the pan. For instance the gear ratio may be such that thepan will turn one revolution in one direction, then reverse its movementand rotate one revolution in the opposite direction. Such turningmovement of the pan sets up a centrifugal action which is more thansuflicient to throw the material outwardly in under the riffles, but asthe material is gradually being delivered it can readily be seen thatthe material assumes an inverted cone shaped formation and that thelodge in under upper ri'llle Where it is 'i'ffllly and perroanentlj:`caught. ln this l be remembered that the large proportion ot i iermaterials, und materials, due to behind the i connection it slioconcentrates conn islaclsand and ce that all of these Il lod 5 grada Itl j:

Le me 'rarity 'ienetrating the 's 'Y ially lodging in the on behin iland in under the riles, r-inother important feature is that packing or'the concentra-tes is entirely avoided as each reyv agit-ating inothoroughly Josens the mass ol concentrates and thereby prevents packingot the saine. The Vliner ya es, such l'lour gold and the like, are fir il fus gi'af'en an opportur. to penetrate l e navier black sands and thelike and will thus Worl through the mass `Where they will be trapped hythe rillles, and as they ouild up in quantity, together with othermetals trapped caught, blaelr sand will be gradually liberated oydisplacement and Will escano over the rifdes and di charge with the Wand tailingsa il. tailing launder may be arranged exterior of the pan toreceive and renio the tail' igsT but such lauuder rn. cy be ed anysuitable manner and carried any point desired, it is obvious thatillustration is here thought unnecessary.

The present L.; lor prospecting purposes in placer deposits;

may be en'iployed for cleaning up concentrates from dredges, sluicebores and the `1 e, or it muy be employed Jor sampling purposes whereground r ores are being l fed; its range in use in connect-ion Withriferi-1 ot this kind being almost unlimited as rue test ol the samplestalen may be ob- "oed due to the tact that all values are re- Thecapacity o the machine may by increasing or decreasing the dep. i anddiameter oic the pan and the number of Aillles employed, anc it mayfurther be increased bj: placing` one or more series of pans on a commonshaft or such as that illustrated in Fig. l. Automatic feeding de- Ticesmay also be employed, but as such features do not torni any part oit thepresent invention, 'they are not here illustrated.

Vvlhile certain features or" the present inoparatus may be employedrrention are more or less specifically illusti'atef, wish it understoodthat various cha tes in fn-ni and proportion be reso ed to within thescope or the appended claims, similarly that the materials and iinish ofthe several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgmentoit the manufacturer may dic-tate or various uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what l, claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent isconcentrator oli the character described compris aga traine .including a base provided an upstanding bearing and at oneside provided with an upright, an arm cef-:tending .inwardly 'from theupper end 'l i 'litorer the base and at its outer provi ed Wit-l1 a`bearing disposed in cal alinenxent with the aforesaid bearon said armand intermeshing said pinion, a handle connected to the vntal g panconcentric with and secured on the shaft over said upright bearing forrotation with the shaft, said pan consisting of a relatively large, latimperl'orate bottom, save for the o'i the shaft therethrough, anoutwardly flaring rim sect-ion and a plurality of spaced annularsuperposed rilile members secured to the Haring rim ofy the pa-n andpositioned substantially parallel with relation to the bottoni section,whereby to agitato the n'iaterial in the pan upon oscillation o saidsegmental gear and to effect discharge of the Water and tailings fromthe pan over the upper edge ot the rim.

2. A concentrator of the character described comprising a trame, avertically disposed straight shalt journaled in the trame, a panconcentric with and secured on the shaft to rotate therewith, in onetrue circle of rotation, said pan consisting oi a relativelytlarge,imperiliorate bottom anda relatively 'narrow and outwardly, upwardlyflaring rim, a plurality ot spaced annular superposed rillle memberssecured to the rim of the pan and positioned substantially parallel withrelation to the bottom, the uppermost ri'tlle being disposed at the treeedge ot the 'flaring rim, and means 'for transmitting anoscillatingmovement to the shaft and pan whereby to agitate the materialand to ellect discharge of the Water and tailings from the pan over theupper riille member and over the upper edge of the rim.

Darin n. BLEAKLEY.

ear tor oscillating the latter, a.

